EU Set to Designate Iran's IRGC as Terrorist Organization Amid Fresh Sanctions

The European Union is preparing to label Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization following support from France. EU foreign ministers will convene in Brussels to finalize this decision in response to Iran's crackdown on protests, which has resulted in numerous fatalities and arrests.

The European Union is poised to add Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to its list of terrorist organizations, following a pivotal shift in stance from France. This move comes as EU foreign ministers prepare to gather in Brussels to agree on new sanctions in response to widespread protests in Iran, marked by significant loss of life and mass arrests.

France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced the shift on X, revealing that France, alongside Italy and Germany, is now backing the designation of the IRGC as a terrorist group. The decision, politically likely to be endorsed on Thursday, requires unanimous consent from all 27 EU member states.

Previously, there was hesitation, particularly from France, over concerns about severing diplomatic ties and affecting negotiations for the release of detained European citizens in Iran. However, the severity of the crackdown on Iranian protests, which the IRGC is heavily involved in, has prompted renewed urgency among EU diplomats to send a decisive message.

(With inputs from agencies.)